It's Been You All Along
by Eulene
Summary: Everyday, Conan Edogawa lives a life weaved from lies. What if one day... the truth is out? AN: I'm not gonna say more cos I don't wana spoil the story. Read on to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.

A/N: This idea is original and entirely mine though. My summary is terrible and I didn't want to give too much away, but I can assure you that the story is better than what you infer from the summary.

**It's Been You All Along**

Chapter 1

It was odd how he always had such an affinity with murder cases and so on, no matter where Conan Edogawa went. Today, was no exception and he had once again, met with an unfortunate murder case in the bungalow of some rich relative of Sonoko.

Solving the case proved no mean feat for him for the murderer had left quite a trail for him to follow. The difficult part of the entire thing, however, proved to be the part where the murderer was to be exposed. For despite the number of policemen present at the scene of crime, none had discovered the true identity of the murderer regardless of how obvious Conan had tried to point the clues out to them.

So once again, it was left to little Conan Edogawa to solve the case. But he couldn't do it alone, of course…

Who would believe the words of a little kid? He smiled grimly as he eyed Ran Mouri's friend – Sonoko. The girl was eyeing the evidence and clues that had been gathered and spread across on the tabletop, with a frown upon her face. Her blonde hair gleamed brightly in the harsh fluorescent lights as she pondered over the killing of one of the guests that had been invited to her relative's party.

He raised his left hand up as he flicked up the wristwatch he wore, so that the panel that helped him to focus his aim would target upon the bare neck of Sonoko. Squinting as he aimed carefully, Conan finally fired his shot.

And despite the bright lights of the room, no one noticed the sleek silver needle that shot out from the wristwatch as it whizzed through the air silently, glinting briefly in the beams of the lamps as it finally landed upon its target.

Sonoko's expression changed almost instantaneously as her entire body went limp and fell to the floor in a sitting position with her back slumped.

The sudden thud of her abrupt descent was followed by an awed hush and total silence. Behind the wall, out in the corridor, was the little Conan, taking his handy bowtie down as he twiddled with the controls that were on the other side of it. As the minutes ticked by, he began to hear whispers erupting from the crowd within the room.

"It's Sonoko!"

"Look at her posture… it's just like all that has been said in the newspaper… She's solved the case!"

"Yes… she must have uncovered the true identity of the murderer!"

He finally got the dials to the right position. Raising the mini voice changer to his mouth, Conan spoke, his voice altering to a sharp female's voice that was of Sonoko's.

"Silence!" came the clear voice from the slumped Sonoko.

"The riddle of the case… I have solved it."

And on he proceeded on, to explain the minute details of the case and finally to reveal the identity of the murderer as the crowd occasionally fired questions or otherwise, listened on eagerly in awed silence.

About an hour later, Conan brought the bowtie down as he let out a deep breath that came as a sigh. He was done. The case had been solved and the policemen had apprehended the murderer already. The evidence was all present and accounted for and every part of how exactly the murder had been conducted had been explained.

Yes. His job was done and it was time to resume his other identity as the little kid, Conan Edogawa. How much longer would he have to continue with this tirade?

Involuntarily, he sighed once again as he got up to his feet slowly, with the heavy knowledge that there was no way of recovering his identity as Shinichi Kudo, until the members of the Black Organization were caught.

His eyes slowly flicked up as he gazed ahead and stop short in his tracks…

A tall slender figure loomed before him, her lengthy shadow, casting half of his face in darkness. Even without waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, the boy could already recognize the familiar silhouette. His vision sharpened as it adjusted. The expression upon the other girl's face became evident.

It seemed to be a mixture of confusion, shock, surprise, mild anger and joy?

Yet in between… there seemed to be something else too…

There seemed to be a quiet underlying sense of realization.

It seemed almost as if she had always known…

The boy, dwarfed by her height, took a step back as a thousand and one thoughts raced through his mind.

_What had she heard? _

_What had she seen?_

_Did she know?_

_Had she known?_

_What will she say?_

_What will she do?_

_How shall I react?_

Such were the thoughts that ran through his mind. But even as he considered the possibilities to the answers to the questions, Conan Edogawa found all answers he had thought of to be useless, a futile attempt at Ran's next words.

Her long thick black locks swayed slightly as they came out of place, dancing gently across her face towards the rhythm of the gentle teasing wind that had entered through an opened window down the opposite end of the corridor. Yet amidst the glossy strands, Conan could still see… The glassy eyes of the girl he had tried to protect so hard turn teary and moist as the blue eyes began to fill up with a multitude of emotions, which he could no longer differentiate.

And in the lonely corridor, her voice echoed as a soft whisper that rung in his ears.

"It's been you all along…"

**A/N**: Hi! This is Eulene and I am so happy to say that this is my 3rd Detective Conan fic… I like this idea and of course hope that you readers like it too… Please review and tell me if you like it. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.

A/N: I forgot to say this in the previous chapter. Well, I've never come across the English version of Detective Conan or Case Closed as it is called, before. I've only watched some episodes of the anime series and read just about every manga of it that is out so far. So all names used here will be according to the Japanese version, as I've no idea what they are called in the English version. 

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**It's Been You All Along**

Chapter 2

"It's been you all along..." Ran repeated once more to herself softly, with an underlying need to convince herself that all these were simply too good to be true.

All this while, I've been waiting for your return... holding onto the promise you made to me in the restaurant you brought me out dine in to months ago when you returned for a brief moment.

_You told Conan to tell me that ... no matter whatever it took, you would come back ... and that I was to wait for you, until the day you returned..._

_Lies...! Everything you've been telling me were lies! You've been lying to me all this while!_

_Because... you didn't even leave... You were by my side all along..._

_Guarding me? Protecting me?_

_Why didn't you tell me? Why?_

The tears that had welled up in her eyes now threatened to overflow as the emotions that rose within her threaten to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall in rivulets that streamed down her cheeks.

_It doesn't really matter now does it?_

There was never a day that passed, since Shinichi's abrupt disappearance or perhaps, as others would prefer to term it as – departure, that she hadn't wondered why he had left or that what had happened to him.

_Because, now I know..._

_It is you._

Opening her eyes, she crossed the distance that separated her from the little boy who was at a loss for words. Her arms reached out to embrace him as she whispered amidst her sobs.

"Shinichi..."

For a little while, silence hung in the air like a thick blanket until the little boy started in a hesitating child like voice, "Ran... I..."

She didn't speak. She didn't trust herself to be able to speak. Her lips parted only to release a muffled sob. With that, she tightened her arms around him, as if afraid to let him go... as if she would never see him again if she did.

A droplet of tear landed on her blouse soaking the material causing it to darken. The person from whom the tear fell from hugged the elder girl back as a ragged whisper escaped his dry trembling lips.

"I... I am not Shinichi!"

With that, the little boy wriggled out of the girl's embrace and disappeared around the corner, leaving a crying Ran all alone in the empty corridor, with naught for comfort.

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Adrenaline had poured into his veins, pulsing through his blood as he fed on the extra energy, using it to fuel his run back to Professor Agasa's home. A little blonde girl of approximately the same age had opened the door for him and had merely eyed him skeptically without a word. Into the room, Conan ran to until he finally sank down to his feet on the cold hard marble floor.

"It's been you all along..." 

Ran's words seemingly returned to haunt him... She knew now.

What could he do?

The run back had caused him to break out into a thin sheen of perspiration, which had already started appearing at Ran's appearance in the corridor. Now, alone in the room, unshed tears that had been present in the boy's dark blue eyes for quite sometime fell uncontrollably.

There's so much that I want to tell you... there's so much that I need to say... 

Burying his head in his little hands, he was once again unconsciously reminded of the fact of his present predicament of being trapped in the body of his younger self. He couldn't face her again after this, could he? He was... trapped.

Trapped between telling her the truth and trapped between shielding it from her.

Trapped between protecting her and hurting her...

It was so hard to lie all the time... There had been so many close encounters when Ran had nearly found out the truth... but this time, things were no longer the same... The truth about his identity...

She had found out!

Perhaps... the only way out was to reveal the truth now...

The one and only truth...

With that thought in mind, Conan Edogawa raised his head.

The cold blue eyes of Ai Haibara met his eyes.

"She found out didn't she?" the little girl questioned in a voice devoid of emotions as she crossed her arms over her chest.

At this, Conan was struck dumb as he nodded in resignation.

Sighing, Ai continued, "I should have known... This tirade, this act... it must be getting tough on you huh?" In a softer voice she went on, "The girl you love is almost perpetually by your side. It must be difficult right? Being on your guard all the time? But there is something that I've mentioned many times before..."

Her tone now harsher, Ai continued, "The organization will spare no one... Once your true identity is leaked out, they will hunt you down, and kill all who knows you... All whom you love..."

Fixing her eyes upon his, she held her steady gaze, letting her eyes bore into his as she repeated, "All whom you love... Including her."

Her words echoed with finality in the room and she left abruptly, satisfied by the effect of her words upon him. The door swung shut with an irritating creak and the room resumed its silence, leaving the young detective alone, with much on his mind.

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A/N: Sorry for the long update as I was having my preliminary exams... So this is a little short but I shall be ending here for now... This story is going to end soon. Hope you like this chapter and please continue to review and tell me what you think or any other comments. Thank you! Your comments are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.

A/N: I think I am getting scatter brained. I forgot to say this. There are some references made in the previous chapter about the promise Shinichi made to Ran in the restaurant. This is from vol. 26 of the manga.

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**It's Been You All Along**

Chapter 3

The shrill ringing of the telephone broke the silence that filled every corner of the nearly empty house of Professor Agasa and interrupted the thoughts of its inhabitants. The small blonde girl who had been leaning against the door to the room in which a little boy was in, walked calmly and coolly in long strides to reach the telephone.

"Hello," Ai Haibara answered, her voice clipped and cool.

"Ai? Is that you? This is Ran here… I was just wondering… if Conan is around?" from the other end of the telephone, came the worried anxious voice of Ran Mouri.

Her large eyes of a chilly blue turned to fixate on the door on which she had been leaning on earlier. Without even pausing to think, Ai allowed her voice to sound more child-like as she said wondrously, "Conan? He's not here… Are you looking for him urgently Ran? I shall tell him that you are looking for him then, should he stop by…"

For a while, the person at the other end said nothing. Then, a soft voice came, "All right then… I guess… I… Please tell him to return home immediately. I…"

Sensing that she probably had more to say, Ai prompted sweetly, "Yes?"

"Nothing… Thank you Ai…"

"No problem… I will pass the message to him. Bye Ran!"

Without even waiting to hear the other party bid farewell, Ai hung up the phone with a satisfactory click, her thoughts heavy and her suspicions confirmed. Ran knew pretty much the gist of the entire story already. The expression on her face unreadable, Ai turned to face the door once more before retreating to the basement.

Something had to be done.

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Up and down the room she paced, finally settling in a position by the window, which allowed a good view of the roads below. Perhaps if her mind weren't that occupied, Ran would have noted the odd false cheer in the little girl's voice. Out of the window she looked, stationing her self behind the glass pane, almost expecting to see that familiar little figure of a bespectacled child dressed in a blue suit hurry home.

But he never did appear… and so, she waited. What more were a few hours to her? She had, after all, waited for almost a year, an eternity to her, for Shinichi's return.

_Shinichi…_

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The door swung opened abruptly as revealing a small figure of a young boy in the doorway. Wordlessly, the boy walked out of the room, heading for the main door, only to be stopped by a voice that came from behind him.

"Well?" a questioning tone sounded from Ai as she crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Conan.

"I… Tell Professor Agasa to contact my parents. I'll be joining them in America…"

"So this is it? That's all that you are going to do? Run away and leave the rest of us here with a mess you created to clear?"

At this, Conan raised his voice harshly in reply, "There's nothing else I can do!"

He had never felt so helpless in his life. How did it turn out to be like that? He knew deep down that running away was not a solution, but… there was nothing else he could do…

Crossing the distance that stretched out between them, Ai reached out a hand to pat him on the shoulder. With a gentler tone, she continued, "Running away is not a solution… You know it too don't you? There will be too many things left undone while you're gone. Your abrupt departure will surely attract attention. If the Black Organization gets wind of it… There may be nothing left when you return… If you manage to return that is. And even if they don't… I'm sure Ran will find you in America eventually… Besides… you can't really bear to leave her behind, can you? You rejected your parents' offer to follow them to America for a reason right?"

Fixing her eyes upon his, she said, "That reason… It's her isn't it?"

At a loss for words at her perfect analysis of his state of mind and flow of thoughts, Conan looked away.

"However… there is another option."

At that, Conan returned his gaze sharply. "What is it?!"

Fishing a clear little plastic bag that contained a single blue pill from her pocket, she handed it over to Conan.

"This can erase recent events from a person's memory."

Examining it from every angle, Conan returned it, replying in utter disbelief, "You are kidding."

Crossly, she retorted, "No I am not kidding. It really can erase memories of a few days from a person's memory bank." Then, with a self-satisfied smirk, she continued, "It's be tried and tested, and proven true."

Narrowing his gaze that fixated upon her, he drew his words out slowly, "You… You didn't happen to test it on Professor Agasa did you?"

With a shrug, she said, "Take my word for it. Go on… It's the only solution for now. There are no side effects to the drug. A little fatigue perhaps with a gaping hole in the memory… But nothing more… Trust me."

And as the boy reached out a quivering hand uncertainly, Ai added silently to herself, "You've got no one else you can trust now."

For an instant, silence hung in the air like a thick blanket as both held their gaze, as if trying to read the other's mind through the eyes. An intense pair of blue eyes behind a pair of thick glasses met those of a blank icy blue. Then finally, Conan turned and left wordlessly, his hesitant steps betraying his inner feelings.

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A/N: Aha! Long time no see! Sorry for the long wait for the next update… I must admit that this chapter is rather short and has plenty of dialogue… Sorry! I guess I still am not used to writing after such a long break from it. My exams are over!!! Yay!!! I'm going nuts from the joy... Anyway, I'll do my best… If all goes well, this story will probably end in the next chapter… Please review and give me your comments… Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.

A/N: The very last chapter! Enjoy please review after that! Thanks!

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**It's Been You All Along**

Chapter 4

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_Here I am by the window again…_

_Looking out of the transparent clear glass, staring off in a far-off seemingly non-existent point…_

_I never did noticed… How stupid of me…_

_Sometimes, tears find their way into my eyes uncontrollably…_

_I still remember the time when you asked me "Why? Why are you crying?"_

_I never answered._

_I merely smiled…_

_And at that very moment, I thought I saw your eyes moistened…_

_Was it my imagination…or a trick of light?_

_I never truly considered it, for the tears that blurred it all hindered my vision…_

_You never did ask me "Why?" again after that…_

_And why was that so?_

_Because… you. _

_You already knew the answer._

_It's been you all along…_

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"Ran…"

A soft voice called out to her.

"Ran…"

Again it repeated itself but with more urgency this time round.

Her eyes fluttered open and in her bleariness and tears, she saw a tiny figure. His outline and silhouette grew fuzzy as they reformed to line a much taller and leaner figure that so resembled the one she had missed so. Her breath caught in her throat as she gasped and reached out, "Shinichi!"

The little boy merely stood where he was as he took off his glasses carefully before folding them and resting them on the table. In the dim silvery light offered by the sleek crescent above, his eyes glistened with an odd glint as he smiled. Even the shadows, which threw half of his face into darkness, couldn't hide the melancholy that traced his smile.

Midway, Ran withdrew her hand back hesitantly as she suddenly caught herself. "No… you are Conan…"

It was then that all came rushing back to her.

Her bleariness in her eyes gone as the heaviness from a deep troubled sleep that settled in her head faded abruptly. Tears that had been but a thin film of moisture, now welled up in pools, leaking out of the corners of her eyes as they rolled down in pearly drops down her cheeks. Ran sat there speechless, watching him, incapable to search for the correct words to say.

In all his child-like innocence, the boy drew a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her tears away. "Don't cry Ran… I will tell it all to you… I will tell you the truth…"

Bloodshot eyes gazed intently into the clear blue eyes of the little boy. For a while, silence and stillness filled the atmosphere as neither spoke and remained perfectly still in their positions. The boy, trying to find a way to break it to the girl gently, while the girl trying to decipher the thoughts and intentions that laid behind those cerulean pools.

Then all shattered as she grasped hold of him suddenly and pulled him close to her. "Shinichi…I know it's you!"

She repeated this sentence to herself a few more times over and yet over again.

The young boy reached out his short arms in an effort to encircle her as he patted her back gently yet a little awkwardly.

"Hush Ran… Everything will be fine… Now you just calm down and listen to what I've got to say…"

With that, the boy tried to gently disentangle himself from her arms. Stubbornly though, she clutched on to him. As if afraid that he would leave like he did earlier that morning, and left her alone in the corridor…

Like he did months back in the amusement park…

And as if he had read her thoughts, the boy sighed and spoke again in a low soothing tone, "I'm not going to leave this time… I am going to tell you the truth… Come on, drink this glass of water to calm yourself down and listen to what I have to say…"

Hesitantly and very slowly, Ran withdrew her arms as she turned to clutch the glass of drink instead. The clear contents within sparkled in the pristine light of the moon.

Watching her as she took a sip from the glass, Conan continued, "That day in the amusement park… I chanced upon a case… By a twist of fate, my presence was discovered by the bad guys. They fed me a drug and it reduced me to my present state. These guys belonged an organization known as the Black Organization… They are very devious and ruthless… Their tracks must remain covered what with all their black deeds and crimes… I'm one of their few surviving victims… They are after me… I…"

Unknowingly, his voice had grown ragged as he continued on.

Suddenly struck dumb, as if incapable of continuing, Conan stopped as he buried his face in his hands. The brief silence was pierced by a soft voice, "Is that why you've been with me all this while?"

The boy slowly looked up as he met her gaze. And though he did not reply, she understood it perfectly… For the answer was blatant in his eyes.

The glass in her hand, with half of its contents gone now slipped to the ground and shattered as Ran sank back slowly into the sofa. With every ounce of effort that remained in her, she fought against her drooping eyelids and that numbing sensation that crept across her entire being, as she asked, "So what's going to happen now?"

Picking up a piece of broken glass from the floor, Conan gazed at her across the few centimeters that separated her from him as he replied, "Everything will return to normal now…"

"It… it will?" she asked wondrously.

A tiny smile painted itself upon her lips as her eyes finally shut.

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_I'm sorry…_

_- Flashback -_

_A clear blue pill fell into a glass half filled with water…_

_The color of the ice blue ocean that filled the capsule seeped out into the clear water in wavy tendrils as it looped around the fluid in swirls and curls, leaving a soft hue of azure that ceased to exist as the seconds passed._

_And with a momentary effervescence, all traces of it was gone…_

_Just like a person's memory of a special moment…_

_All… gone._

_- End of Flashback - _

_I seem to be saying that to you all the while…_

_I guess we both have a very different idea of "normal in our minds"…_

_But this is all that I can do…_

_I never answered._

_But you understood… you knew it. You knew that I was with you all the time to protect you…_

_Perhaps you could have asked "Why?"_

_But you didn't._

_That's because you know the answer…_

_But I'll say it anyway…_

A drop of water rolled down Ran's cheek. She wasn't crying though. It came from the little boy standing over her as he watched her sleep with that trusting smile on her face.

_I love you…_

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The next day, Mouri Kogoro returned home from some client's house in the other end of Japan and was stupefied to find his daughter asleep on the sofa with Conan still in his slumber in the armchair. Shaking them both, he bellowed, "Wake up you two! Why in the world are you sleeping here when you have beds in your bedroom?"

"What is it Dad?" a sleepy Ran questioned. Then eyeing the clock, she suddenly threw the blanket off her as she leapt across the room.

"Ah! Conan! Hurry! We are going to be late in meeting Sonoko!"

Kogoro yelled, "Didn't you just meet her yesterday? What are you doing?"

While the two were engaged in a series of exchange of words, the little boy merely sat in the corner, watching them silently with an odd glint present in his eyes…

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_All this while… there's been nothing I want more than to you the truth…_

_The one and only truth that I always try my best to reveal when solving the murder and crime cases…_

_But this time round… I was left without a choice…_

_I can never tell the plain hard truth to you without risking your life…_

_I…_

_Perhaps a day will come soon, in the near future, when I can tell you everything…_

_Perhaps on that day, when the danger has passed and the truth uncovered, you will once again say, "It's been you all along…"_

_And I won't run away anymore…_

_Instead,Iwill reply you, "Yes Ran… It's been me all this while…"_

_I love you..._

----------------------------------------------------------The End----------------------------------------------------------

A/N: This is the last chapter of this story and I hope you all have enjoyed it. Please review and tell me any comments you have…

Answers to the Reviewers:

Ooshii Kurai: Hi! Thank you so much for your constant support through the reviews! I didn't focus on the mystery in chapter 1 because I have no idea how to go about this crime solving stuff. I hope the story turned out fine despite my exclusion of it. I like Ai too! She's one of my most favorite characters! Regarding the pill, I got this idea from the drug that shrank Shinichi into a kid. I hope the outcome is all right? I did consider several other endings but eventually decided that I like this best… Your comments have been really encouraging and helpful and I thank you so much!

NightWinter: Hello, thanks for reviewing… I wondered why you thought this was strange… Could you please tell me why? Thanks.

MyImaginaryInuyasha: Thank you! I always wanted to end the fast chapter that way as the words that ended it, which is the title, are kinda important in this story.

Ember Mage: Hi, thanks! I'm crazy over Detective Conan and absolutely love the library of my secondary school for granting me access to the comics of this series!

sonamnarayan: Thank you!

"Her…": I updated… haha… Hope you are still reading it and continuing to enjoy it… Thanks!

StarLightKagome: Thank you! I don't really know the color of the characters' hair and all as I read the comics, which is in black and white. So thanks for that tip about Ran's hair color. I changed it already. Thank you!

Private: Hihi! Thanks!

silent:tears:fall: Thank you! I like the last line too because of the effect it has. Or at least I hoped it had an effect

Geodesic: Thanks…

KagomeChic: Hello! I reviewed certain chapters of your story but haven't been following it recently because I've been kinda busy… I promise to review again when I've got time! Sorry and thank you!

Van Fanel's Soulmate: Yo! Haha… Thank you so much, my faithful and loyal reader… D

Magicbulletgirl: Your review is sweet… Thank you!

Samiechanshinichiluver: Hi! Hope you like the ending… Thank you!

Detective Girl: Thank you!

Silverwind128: Thank you! I really appreciate that comment! Thanks!

YumeTakato: Thank you! Eh… does this ending qualify as a cliffie? I hope not

(This story is dedicated to a dear friend who goes by the online name of Gapz. She has given me endless support and will be celebrating her sweet sixteen tomorrow and I would like to wish her "Happy Birthday!" and say "Thank you" for all that she has done for me… Thanks. )


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